A Little Night Music
by Brown Eyes Parker
Summary: All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Previously called "All I Ever Wanted".
1. Prologue

**All I Ever Wanted**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album and "the Carpenters, Gold" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Author's Note:**

**I realized while writing the last chapter of "Without You" that I never explained what happened to Puck, or where he went. The final chapter in "Without You" had barely been posted for an hour when this story literally begged to be written. Besides, I'm curious to find out where Puck and what he's been up to while Rachel and Finn were preparing to say goodbye to each other.**

**I won't be using flowers in this story, I'm thinking it might be a little darker and grittier than "Without You" was. But only **_**slightly**_**. (August 1****st****, 2011_)**

**Prologue:**

"_There was a man, a lonely man. . . who lost his love through his indifference. A heart that cared, that went unshared until it died within his silence. And Solitaire's the only game in town, and every road that takes him, takes him down. And by himself it's easy to pretend, he'll never love again. And keeping to himself he plays the game, without her love it always ends the same. . . while life goes all around him everywhere, he's playing Solitaire. _."

Out of all the songs that he sang, _Solitaire _was his most popular. His regulars would request it on a nightly basis, and people who heard it for the first time usually asked him to sing it again.

He figured peopled liked it because Noah sang it like he had lived it. But Jasper Hamilton never asked questions, he hadn't when the young man with the Mohawk had showed up at his bed & breakfast five months earlier, and he wasn't going to start. He was pretty sure, that if he gave Noah Puckerman his space, the kid would eventually come around and tell him the whole story.

"You're doing a good job tonight," Jasper said when Puck had stopped for a water break.

"You say that every night," Puck replied, eyeing the older man wearily.

"I mean it every night," Jasper answered, tossing him a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Puck took the cap off and took a long drink. When he lowered the bottle, he noticed that Jewel Hamilton had come up and captured her husband in conversation. He didn't care, he had to get back to his audience anyways. He wiped his mouth, and stashed his water behind the bar.

As he tuned up his guitar, his mind drifted to the first time he had come to the bed & breakfast. He had checked in, and found the bar. . . planning to drink until Quinn Fabray was just a fuzzy memory. But Jasper had seen right through him, and given him a Coke instead. Two hours later, he had a place to stay as long as he needed. . . he just needed to promise that he would help around the bed & breakfast, and that he wouldn't drink.

A week later, Jewel had caught him singing while he was folding towels for the pool. And that's when he had gotten a gig singing nights in the restaurant.

In the past five months, Jasper and Jewel had become the grandparents he had never had. And he was pretty sure that he had gotten over Quinn. He only sang _Solitaire_ because of the earlier days. . . when he still loved her so much that he couldn't breathe.

He had learned to breathe again, but the song had stuck. . . mostly because of the emotion he sang with when he had first started performing at _the Moonstruck _inn.

Little did Noah Puckerman know, that soon the ability to breathe would go away again.

**TBC. . .**

**Author's Note II:**

**Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions even?**

**Holly August 5, 2011_**


	2. Chapter 1

**All I Ever Wanted**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Chapter 1**

It was a cold, rainy day in November, Rachel was making grilled cheese sandwiches when there was a knock on her apartment door. She turned down the stove, and wiped her hands on her sparkly, pink apron. She glanced in the mirror, and prayed that Finn hadn't decided to come earlier than planned. (Her hair was _atrocious_, and she hated for him to see her looking messy.)

The knocking became banging, causing her heart rate to speed up, the last time there had been urgent knocking, it had been the police telling her Kurt had gotten into an accident. She sprinted to the door, her hands clumsily unlocking the four locks that Kurt insisted on installing after seeing a report about faulty locks on GMA. She pulled the door open, but instead of finding Finn on the other side of the door, she was staring into Quinn Fabray's blue eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked before she could stop herself.

"I came to see Finn," Quinn replied, shivering a little bit. Her usually perfect hair was plastered to her face, and her meticulous makeup job was marred by the heavy rain. "I need to talk to him."

"Finn's not here right now," Rachel said.

"I thought he was living here?"

"No, my dads put their foot down, and said that there was no way in heck that he was staying here. He's living in an apartment across town," she replied. "But he should be here in a few minutes. . . if you want to wait for him."

"It's important," Quinn said.

"Okay." Rachel opened the door a little wider, letting the blonde girl in. She couldn't help but wonder a little bit exactly why she was going against her better judgment and allowing her former teammate into her home.

Quinn looked around the apartment, admiration in her eyes. "You have a really nice place here."

"Thank you," Rachel replied. "Go into the bathroom, take off your wet things, and get cleaned up. My bathrobe is on the back of the door, you can wear that. I'll make you some herbal tea, if you'd like. Are you hungry? Dinner's almost ready, if you're interested."

Quinn looked puzzled. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I don't know," Rachel answered. "Now go on, before you catch a cold."

**.**

She returned ten minutes later, wrapped up in Rachel's robe, her hair pulled away from her face in a tight ponytail, her face void of makeup.

_She looks like a young girl_, Rachel thought as she placed a large mug of peach tea in front of Quinn.

"Thank you," Quinn said, taking a sip of the hot liquid. "Is Finn here yet?"

"He just called and told me that he'll be here any second," Rachel answered. "He wanted to pick Kurt up from Juliard."

Quinn took another drink. "You must be wondering why I'm here."

"I am," Rachel confessed, turning the stove off and ladling soup into a bright green bowl. "Tomato soup? Grilled cheese?"

"Yes, please."

"Usually I wait until everybody's here to eat, but I'll tonight, I'll make an exception," she said, handing the soup to Quinn.

"You still don't know why I'm here." Quinn felt the need to point out as she reached for a grilled cheese sandwich.

Rachel shrugged and opened her mouth to reply, when Kurt and Finn came in chatting about a role play class that Kurt was enrolled in.

Finn froze in the middle of the living room, causing Kurt to bump into him.

"Hey!"

"Sorry Kurt," Finn muttered, not taking his eyes away from Quinn. "Hey. . . what are you doing here? Rach, what is she doing here?"

"I don't know," Rachel answered. "She just showed up, soaking wet. . . what did you want me to do? Close the door in her face?"

"Finn, I'm not here to cause any trouble!" Quinn said earnestly. "I just want to talk."

"Maybe you should listen to her," Rachel suggested, as she served him and Kurt their dinners.

"Okay. . . I'm listening," Finn said, looking at his ex. "What's going on Quinn?"

"I want to know. . . I _need _to know where Puck is," she replied. "Please Finn. . ."

"I promised him that I wouldn't tell anybody where he went," Finn said. "I can't betray his trust like that—"

"Finn, _please_!" Quinn pleaded. "I finally know what you and coach Sylvester meant about being tethered to somebody. I miss him. . . so much."

He hesitated for a second before glancing at Rachel and sighing. "Okay, okay. . . we'll talk after Rachel's show tonight."

Relief flooded Quinn's features. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

**.**

"I'm going to burst!" Quinn said as she watched Finn and Kurt make their way through a second round of Devil's Food cake. "Are you going to tell me where he is, or not?"

"Are you _sure_ you don't want anything to eat?" Finn asked instead of answering. "The dessert here is to die for."

"You can order anything you like," Rachel added, taking a sip of her tea. "It's my treat."

"I'm fine, _really_—"

"Miss Berry!" A waiter said, coming up to their table. "Such a pleasant surprise! Are you going to sing for us tonight?"

Rachel smiled. "Now Phil, you know that I only sing here on my night's off. And tonight is not one of those nights—"

"Come on Rach," Finn prodded. "Just sing _one _song, your public is waiting."

Quinn wanted to strangle Finn, she knew that he was encouraging Rachel to sing on purpose. She clenched her fist and took another sip of her own tea, hoping it would stop her from saying something that she would regret later on.

"Well?" Kurt asked. "Are you going to sing?"

Rachel glanced at Quinn and then shook her head. "No. . . not right now."

"Are you going to tell me now?" Quinn begged.

"Only if you agree to stay the night," Rachel said, glancing at Finn.

Quinn sighed, she didn't want to agree to stay the night. But she figured it had been five months since she had seen Puck last, so she could wait one more day. It wouldn't hurt anything. . . not really, anyways. She nodded. "I'll stay."

"He's in. . he's in Vermont," Finn finally answered.

"_Vermont_?" Quinn repeated incredulously. "What's he doing in _Vermont_?"

"_I don't know!_" Finn snapped."You know it's your fault that he left in the first place—"

Quinn felt like she had been slapped, but she knew Finn was right. It _was_ her fault that Puck had left.

"Finn!" Rachel hissed, noticing the look on Quinn's face. "_Stop it!" _

"No! He's right. . . it is my fault, the whole situation with him. . . the whole situation with you two. All of it, it's my fault—"

"I didn't mean it that way," Finn said, raking his fingers through his hair.

"Maybe we should just go our separate ways for the night," Rachel suggested, leaning over to kiss Finn goodnight.

"Good idea," Finn said dryly. "Listen Quinn, I'm sorry—"

"It's fine," Quinn assured him in a quiet voice. "It _is_ my fault. But I'm going to make it right."

**.**

"Good afternoon sleepy head," Rachel said the next morning as Quinn came out of Kurt's room, rubbing her eyes wearily.

"Afternoon?" Quinn murmured. "What time is it?"

"Almost twelve," Rachel answered. "I saved some coffee for you."

"Thanks."

"Are you hungry?"

Quinn shrugged.

"Just give me a couple minutes and I'll whip up an omelet for you. . . Finn said you liked omelets."

"And bacon," Quinn answered with a smile.

"Well. . ." Rachel said reluctantly. "This is a Jewish household, I'm afraid I don't have bacon. I do have veggie bacon though."

Quinn made a face. "I think I'll skip it. . . thanks."

Rachel poured a cup of coffee for Quinn. "Finn was here for breakfast. . . and we talked. We're paying for your bus ticket to Vermont."

"What?" Quinn asked in shock. "You can't do that!"

"I can, and I have already have," Rachel said. "Your bus leaves at two, you should be in Vermont by tonight."

"Thank you." Quinn finally managed. "You'll never know how much this means to me. . . I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you, or Finn—"

"Friends?" Rachel asked, sitting down next to her and covering Quinn's hand with her own.

For the first time since she had met the Jewish girl, Quinn honestly thought that the two of them could be friends. She put her hand on top of Rachel's and gave her a genuine smile. "Friends."

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, I promise the next chapter will revolve around Quinn going to Puck in Vermont. I just needed to do a little background first. Please tell me what you think, and/or give me some suggestions for this story if you'd like. **

**And I know Rach was slightly out of character by not wanting to sing, but I did it for the sake of the story. Honestly, it was a tough choice to make. . . I was going to have her sing, but then I made it that she saw how much Q was suffering and decided to be unselfish about being in the spotlight. I know I didn't exactly write that in my story, but that IS what I was going for.**

**Until next time,  
>Holly, August 6, 2011_<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**All I Ever Wanted**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Shout-Outs:**

**naive sweet girl. . . thank you for your review. It was very much appreciated.**

**.**

**Chapter 2**

"This is where he's staying," Rachel said, handing Quinn a brochure for a place called _the Moonstruck Inn_.

"Isn't _Moonstruck_ a Cher and Nicholas Cage movie?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Rachel answered. "Apparently the couple who owns it are huge old movie fans. The menu at their restaurant is inspired by old films. It actually sounds like a great place to stay, Finn and I are planning to go up there some weekend this winter, so he can ski. . . anyways, your bus is about to leave. You should get going."

Quinn gave her a tentative hug. "Thank you Rachel."

"Good luck," Rachel replied, giving her a tight squeeze. "See you soon, okay?"

Quinn nodded, and then released her, turning to look at the bus. She took a deep breath and boarded it. "Here it goes."

She glanced out the window and saw Rachel, clutching her purse to her chest, and waving her off with a wide smile on her face.

Quinn waved back and then settled into her seat, preparing herself for the long drive to Vermont.

**.**

She worked on what she'd say to Puck when she got to _the Moonstruck Inn_, writing it in her journal and rewriting it on the napkins that she had picked up when the bus had stopped for a McDonalds run. She had never been so nervous before in her life, not even when she had found out she was carrying Beth.

She was wearing her heart on her sleeve, and that was something that she _never_ did.

**.**

Puck was in town, helping Jewel pick up supplies for the inn when he saw her sitting outside a coffee shop. At first, he thought it was just a figment of his imagination. . . there was _no way _that Quinn Fabray was in Stowe, Vermont. She had no reason to be there. . . unless—

He didn't have time to finish his thought, she had spotted him and was coming towards him.

"Hello Puck," she said before he had a chance to run away.

"Quinn," he replied, avoiding her eyes.

She cleared her throat. "This is a lucky coincidence. . . I was just calling a taxi to come and see you. I've been looking everywhere for you—"

"How'd you know I was here?" Puck asked calmly, even though he knew the answer. He didn't ever think Finn would betray him. . . Finn wasn't that kind of guy. He was loyal. . . he hated it when there was any sign of betrayal. He had broken up with two girlfriends because they hadn't been faithful—

"Don't get mad," Quinn finally said. "Finn and Rachel told me where you were. He wasn't going to do it, I had to pursued him—"

"How did you pursued him?" Puck asked.

"It doesn't matter," she answered. "Not really."

"Why are you here?"

"Why are you giving me the third-degree?" Quinn retorted.

"I hardly think the questions I've asked count as giving you the third-degree—"

"Who's your friend Noah dear?" Jewel asked, coming up and unwittingly interrupting their conversation.

"She's not my friend," Puck answered, turning away from the blonde.

"I'm Quinn Fabray," Quinn said.

"Pleasure to meet you Quinn. I'm Jewel Hamilton," Jewel replied. "So, how do you know Noah?"

"We went to high school together," Quinn answered, avoiding Puck's eyes and not offering anymore explanation than that.

"It's so nice of you to visit," Jewel said, glancing at Puck. "Noah never gets visitors, and he never talks about anybody from Ohio."

Quinn just smiled. "Well. . . . I guess we all want to forget our past. Don't we Puck?"

Puck didn't answer, he just took the bags that Jewel was holding and made his way to the inn's van. "It's getting colder out, and it's late. Maybe we should get back to _Moonstruck_ before the dinner crowd comes, you know I have to play tonight."

"Do you have a place to stay dear?" Jewel asked, addressing Quinn.

"No," Quinn answered.

"You should come back to the inn with us then. We have plenty of room. . . you can stay with Puck, my husband, and I on the top floor of _Moonstruck_. . . that's where we live—"

"I couldn't impose."

"Really, you wouldn't be imposing. Everybody who stays with us is excepted to pull their weight, so I might have you do a few odd chores in exchange for a room and meals. . . Noah here waits tables during the day, and sings at night as his payment for a place to stay."

"Does he?" Quinn asked, giving him a smug smile. "How many girls have you sang to here Puck?"

Puck glared at her. "None. Really Jewel, I think we should be getting back now."

Jewel nodded and looked at Quinn. "So, what do you say. . . are you coming with us, or not?"

"I think I will," Quinn answered. "Thank you for the offer."

Puck groaned inwardly, wishing she had said no. After spending the last five months trying to get over her, he didn't have any desire to spend time with her. He just wanted her to go away. . .

**.**

"So, what's the story with this Quinn Fabray girl?" Jasper asked as he and Puck cleaned up the restaurant after the last customer had left later that night.

"What?" Puck said. "There's no story."

"But of course there's a story," Jasper replied. "You show up here out of the blue one day, and don't say anything about your past, or where you're from. And then five months later a beautiful girl shows up, looking for _you_. There has to be a story. I haven't pressed you for details before, but now I'd like to know. . . especially since there's a young lady involved."

"I came here to get over her," Puck answered after a beat. "I loved her. . . I loved her the very first day I met her."

Jasper nodded. "I figured as much. . ."

Puck sighed and leaned against the bar counter, weighing what he was going to say next. "I was really. . . _bad _in high school. Worse than Fonzie bad. . I didn't have any qualms about anything really. She was dating my best friend, but one night she called me, asked me to come over. And I did, we got drunk. . . and we. . . then she got pregnant. She decided to have the baby. . . and we named her Beth, after the KISS song. I told her that I loved her, that I had always loved her, and that I loved her even more because of what she went through with Beth. . . because she gave life to our child. But she gave Beth up for adoption, and after that. . . things were never the same between us again.

"It didn't change anything between us though. I tried to steal an ATM machine, got arrested, and thrown into Juvie. . . when I got out, she was dating some preppy blonde boy. Then, she cheated on him with her first boyfriend. . . my best friend. After that, Finn broke up with her and got back together with his second girlfriend, Rachel. And she got together with some Irish exchange student named _Damian_."

He said Damian like it had left a bad taste in his mouth.

"That doesn't explain why you came here though," Jasper said.

"I came here to get over her," Puck repeated his answer from earlier. "I couldn't stand watching her with other boys when I loved her so much."

"It seems to me that Quinn Fabray isn't such a nice girl," the older man said carefully. "She does an awful lot of cheating—"

Puck laughed, a dry, humorless laugh. "You barely know me Jasper. . . you would probably say I'm not a nice boy if you only knew. . . knew the things that I've done—"

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Jewel asked cheerfully as she and Quinn came into the restaurant.

"Of course not," Jasper answered, pulling his wife into a kiss.

Puck and Quinn watched the couple, awkwardly shuffling their feet, and trying to figure out if they should say anything or just sneak out.

Finally Puck cleared his throat. "I guess we'll just go to bed."

"Goodnight," Jasper replied, barely breaking his mouth-to-mouth contact with his wife.

Jewel just giggled and waved merrily as they left the room.

**.**

"What are you doing here Quinn?" Puck asked, opening the freezer and pulling out a carton of ice cream, getting ready to have his favorite midnight snack.

"Does it matter?" Quinn replied.

"It does," Puck said, getting the ingredients necessary for a sundae. "You have no idea what. . ."

"What?" Quinn asked.

"Nothing. . ." he answered, shaking his head. "Ice cream, or are you still watching your weight?"

"No. . . I'm not, I'd like some ice cream."

When her eyes met his, Puck's heart stopped. He could have sworn he saw a glimmer of love shining in her eyes, but he had been fooled by her before. . . and he didn't want to make the same mistakes again. He didn't want to get his hopes up, just to have her meet a millionaire that had come to ski for the weekend, and then leave him again. He turned away, trying to regain control of the emotions he had thought had disappeared months ago.

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**That's all for now, I promise the interaction between Puck/Quinn will pick up after this chapter. It will contain both of them being awful to each other. . . sometimes. But Quick is ultimately endgame in this story. I guess it'll just be getting there.**

**Thoughts, suggestions, flames? They're all welcome, so if you feel like saying anything, please drop me a review.**

**Holly, August 11, 2011_**


	4. Chapter 3

**All I Ever Wanted**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Disclaimer:**

**I always forget to put the dang disclaimer in. Okay, if I owned this. . . Rachel and Finn wouldn't have broken up in season 2, and there would have been more Quick interaction. I would have at least had them talk about Beth, and what had happened between them.**

**Shout-Outs:**

**naive sweet girl, andsoitis2. . . thank you for your reviews. It was very much appreciated.**

**.**

**Chapter 3**

He couldn't sleep. Not when she was right across the hallway from him, not when she had come all the way from Lima, Ohio just to see him. He turned on his back and stared at the ceiling, wondering why she had come to see him exactly, wondering what it was she had said, that made Finn give away his location so easily.

He reached for his iPod and shoved his headphones into his ears, trying to drown out the thoughts that were loudly banging around in is head. A bad idea, because _Love the Way You Lie_ was playing, it had been the song he had listened to his first two months in Vermont. Those first eight weeks, he wanted to find her and scream the song at her. . . even now, he couldn't figure out what had stopped him from doing it exactly.

He sighed and switched songs, which was a bad thing, because _Halo_ by Bethany Joy Galeotti came over the headphones. Quinn had downloaded the _One Tree Hill_ soundtrack to his iPod when she had lived with him, and he had never gotten around to deleting it. He yanked his ear buds out and tossed his iPod aside; listening to music wasn't helping anything.

Puck knew he would probably never be able to get to sleep now, so he got out of bed, slipped into some clothes, grabbed his guitar, and went down to the restaurant. He would practice his new set of songs until his fingers bled. . . until it was the lyrics, not Quinn Fabray's name imprinted on his brain.

**.**

"Puck?" Quinn asked, padding into the restaurant and yawning. "What are you doing up so early? You usually don't get out of bed until the last possible minute."

He turned his face away, mostly to hide the dark circles under his eyes. "'Morning Quinn, what are you doing out here?"

"Mrs. Hamilton asked me to start setting the dining room up for the breakfast crowd," she answered, forcing herself to smile brightly. "Want to help?"

_No._

But he didn't say that, instead he set his guitar down, and nodded. "Sure. Why not?"

"You're angry with me," Quinn said, taking chairs off the table and sliding them under the table.

"No!" Puck said a little too quickly. "Why would I be angry with you?"

"For showing up here," Quinn answered.

"Your arrival startled me. . ." Puck replied slowly. "But I'm not angry you're here. Nobody could get too angry with you."

"That's a lie, and you know it."

He sighed. "Why are you here? What happened with Damian?"

"Why are you always asking why I'm here?"

"Don't get so defensive!"

"I am not getting defensive—"

"Okay you two! That's enough!" Jewel said as she came into help them. "Noah, dear. . . you look exhausted. Why don't you go grab a shower, and some strong coffee? I'll help Quinn finish up."

Puck threw the blonde a glance. "Thanks Jewel."

Quinn rolled her eyes at him, making sure that he saw her.

"Dear, may I ask why you came to Vermont?" Jewel asked when she was sure that Puck was out of ear-shot.

"To see Puck," Quinn answered. "There's a lot of unsaid stuff between us, and we need to talk—"

"_Stuff_. . . like what sort of stuff?"

"Just. . . stuff," Quinn said candidly, not wishing to speak about her personal life in front of a total stranger.

"Do you love him?"

"Puck? Yes, yes I do love him. I wouldn't have come all this way if I _didn't_ love him," Quinn answered, avoiding the older woman's eyes.

"You need to tell him," Jewel told her. "He resents you so much already, I can tell. And by your not telling him how you feel, you're only driving the wedge further between you. Take it from someone who knows."

"I don't know how to tell him. . ." Quinn trailed off. "Of course if it were Rachel, she would tell him through a song."

"Who's Rachel?"

"A girl we went to school with," Quinn answered, off-handedly. "I think I will sing a song for him. . . if that's okay with you, of course?"

Jewel nodded, wanting to help her out any way that she could. She reached out and squeezed the younger girl's hand. "Of course dearest, I'll just tell Puck to keep a selection open for you."

Quinn smiled. "Thank you. . . I really appreciate it."

**.**

Puck watched Quinn as she helped him wait tables during lunch. He regretted snapping at her earlier, she had probably come to make peace and he wasn't helping matters any. In fact, he was probably just making things worse. He sighed, wishing he were Finn. . . just once. He didn't always know the right thing to say, or do. . . but he was sure as heck a lot gentler with women.

Quinn caught him staring at her, and offered him a gentle smile. He smiled back, and then quickly turned his focus back to the little girl, who was asking him for chocolate milk.

**TBC. . .**

**Author's Note:**

**I know I ask this all the time, but questions? Comments? Flames? Suggestions? Feel free to leave them all in a review. **

**I promise, the next chapter will be Quinn's song, and Puck's reaction to it. . .maybe even a kiss, but I can't promise that. I usually can only write what my muse tells me to.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took me a while to update, but I had a friend who needed attention. And I'm sorry, but my family and my friends ALWAYS come before my fan fictions, period. **

**I was going to do it yesterday, but when I woke up in the morning my whole middle toe was swollen. I had an allergic reaction to an insect bite/sting, it was awful. My whole toe was purple and hot to the touch, and I couldn't walk. I spent the whole day on my couch watching TV. Today, I could barely walk and it's just a little swollen, and INSANELY itchy. Still had to be on bed rest for half the day, but I'm feeling better. Gonna take another allergy pill before bed and hope that everything is okay in the morning. I promise, it won't take me nine days to update again.**

**Love,**

**Holly, August 17, 2011**


	5. Chapter 4

**All I Ever Wanted**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Shout-Outs:**

**Ellii51, Star101, & DearJenzz. . . thanks for the feedback!**

**.**

**Chapter 4**

"A song?" Rachel repeated as she tucked the phone under her chin and closed her refrigerator door after putting the last of her groceries away.

"You always know exactly what song to sing," Quinn replied.

Rachel's cheeks warmed at this statement, she wasn't used to be praised by the girl on the other end of the line. "You say you're going to sing a song for _Puck_ tonight?"

"Yes," Quinn answered.

"Taking a page out of my book are we?"

"Why not? You were always singing to get somebody's attention in Glee club. And it always seemed to work—"

"I know the _perfect_ song for you!" Rachel interrupted. "Listen. . ."

**.**

"Ladies and gentleman, a special treat tonight. . ." Puck said into the microphone. "Closing the show for you tonight is my old Glee club teammate and friend, Quinn Fabray!"

There was polite applause as Quinn made her way up to the stage and sat down at the piano, she adjusted the bench and sheet music, then gently cleared her throat. "Hello everybody, I would like to sing _Thinking of You_ by Katy Perry tonight. . . it's for somebody very special."

There was more applause and she found Puck's eyes in the front row, while she started to sing:

"_Comparisons are easily done, once you've had a taste of perfection, like an apple hanging from a tree, I picked the ripest one, I still got the seed. You said move on, where do I go? I guess second best is all I will know. 'Cause when I'm with him, I am thinking of you. Thinking of you, what you would do if you were the one who was spending the night. Oh, I wish that I was looking into your eyes. . ._

"_You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter, like a hard candy with a surprise center. How do I get better once I've had the best? You said there's tons of fish in the water, so the waters I will test. He kissed my lips, I taste your mouth. He pulled me in, I was disgusted with myself. 'Cause when I'm with him, I am thinking of you. . . thinking of you. What you would do if you were the one who was spending the night. Oh, I wish I was looking into your. . . the best._

"_And yes I do regret how I let myself, let you go. . . now, now the lesson's learned. I touched and I was burned. Oh I think you should know. 'Cause when I'm with him, I am thinking of you. Thinking of you, oh what you would do if you were the one who was spending the night. Oh, I wish that I was looking into your, your eyes. Looking into your eyes. . . oh won't you walk through, and bust in the door. and take me away? No more mistakes, 'cause in your eyes I would like to stay. . . stay._"

"Talk to her," Jewel whispered, nudging Puck as the whole restaurant broke into applause.

"What am I going to say?" Puck asked.

"Anything you'd like," Jewel replied.

He looked over at Quinn, who was standing up from the piano and making her way down the stairs towards him and Jewel. He sprinted to her, helping her down the last few steps and dragging her to the door. "Come for a walk with me."

.

"It's cold out here," Quinn said when they were out of ear-shot from the patrons and Jewel.

"That song. . . it was for me, wasn't it?"

"If you must know—"

He didn't even give her a chance to answer, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and his lips collided with her's. They stood there in the cold, kissing for a few seconds.

And then all the rejection and the pain came rushing back to Puck, so he pushed Quinn away and distanced himself from her. "I can't do this."

"Can't do what?" Quinn asked, suddenly feeling even colder without his arms around her.

"_What_ are you doing _here_ Quinn?" Puck inquired without answering her question. "What happened with Damian?"

She rubbed her arms and stared out at the sky and the thickening clouds. . . the clouds that held the promise of snow, and a full inn the next day. She sighed before stealing a glance at him. "Damian wasn't you. . . none of them were you. I came here to find _you _and see if we could make whatever was between us in high school work. I think I love you Puck."

He laughed, a bitter, hollow, sad sounding laugh. "I've wanted to hear you say those words since eighth grade. . . but you always said them to somebody else. Finn, Sam. . . and then Finn again. Then there was Damian. . . but you never said them to me."

"And now?"

"Now, I don't know how I feel. You're being here has me confused, and I don't like it at all Quinn. I just wish that you'd come back where you came from," he replied before turning away from her and bolting back into the hotel restaurant.

Quinn fell to the ground, feeling like somebody had punched her in the gut. She wished that she had seen it before. . . the resentment in his eyes, the broken-heart on his sleeve. She wished that she had seen it before, he had left Lima because of her. . . to _get_ over her. And he had finally succeeded in doing just that.

And as the snow began to fall gently to the ground, she wished that she had never come to Stowe, Vermont.

**.**

"Quinn dear, I hope you're ready for a busy night!" Jewel sang out as she entered the inn lobby with a numb heart and a frozen bum.

"By nine 'o clock tomorrow, we're going to be turning people away!" Jasper added. "So, we need to be prepared."

"Okay," Quinn agreed. "I'll just go put on a sweatshirt and then be back in a second."

When she returned to the parlor, Puck was finishing lighting a fire in the lobby and the soft sounds of _Bach_ were coming from the living room along with soft whispers and giggles from Jasper and Jewel. She went to see the couple, hoping that she wouldn't walk on anything too embarrassing.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked, relieved when all she found them doing was getting out winter gear.

"You can start making up bedrooms dear," Jewel answered, winking at her. "Puck and Jasper are going to drive to town and pick some things up at the hardware store."

"It's open this late?" Quinn asked slightly shocked.

"Well, of course. . . Mitch is open for twenty-four hours when we have a storm," Jewel answered. "And since we have a lot of people coming tomorrow, this might be the only time we have to get essentials."

"Essentials?" Quinn repeated.

"Like salt for the walkway and the stairs, a spare shovel for Puck, sleds for the kids who won't be skiing, thick gloves for when we have to shovel," Jasper ticked off the list, his eyes twinkling. "This is the best time of the year for a business like Jewel's and mine. So, I hope you have some more pretty songs prepared. . . I want my guests to have variety during dinner."

"Won't Puck be upset?"

"I think he'll be happy for the break," Jewel said, taking the girl by the arm and leading her back into the lobby. "Come on girlie, let's go and start the bedrooms. Our first guests will be here before you know it."

It was almost five in the morning when Quinn and Puck were finally released to catch a nap. The first guests had been checked in and showed to their rooms around four-thirty.

So, Jewel and Jasper had given them an hour to nap, change clothes, and grab something to eat. The way Quinn felt physically and mentally, she just supposed taking the full hour to sleep. She didn't care what she looked like. . . not really anyways. Not when it seemed like Puck had written her off. . .

She fell into her bed, telling herself to cry, and forget about Puck like she always had, but she couldn't. She was too tired to do anything but sleep.

**.**

"_Quinn_, _Quinn_. . ." a voice that sounded like Rachel's filled her ears and mind.

She opened her eyes and blinked a couple times, expecting to wake to an empty room. But the Jewish was kneeling beside her bed, smiling at her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked groggily.

"My last show was last night, and Finn heard about the snow so we decided to come up for a few days," Rachel answered. "Mrs. Hamilton asked me to come up and see if you're okay. It's almost eleven 'o clock."

"I'm fine," Quinn replied, sitting up quickly. "Why didn't anybody wake me up earlier?"

Rachel shrugged. "We only just got here twenty minutes ago. . . is everything okay with you and Puck? He seemed a little out of it when he came to see us."

"There's nothing to say," Quinn answered swinging her legs over the bed. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have to get ready for the day ahead of me. Unlike you, I have work to do around here."

"Okay. . ." Rachel agreed after a beat. "But Quinn, what happened between you two?"

"I took your advice and sang that Katy Perry song. And then. . . he kissed me, I thought that meant everything was okay again. But then he broke the kiss, and asked me why I was here. . . for the millionth time."

"I'm on your side Quinn—" the brunette girl began slowly.

"_But?_" Quinn asked, pulling on a pair of thick socks that somebody had left at the end of her bed.

"But. . . you've broken his heart too many times before; you can't blame him for being a little hesitant at first."

Quinn sighed heavily, knowing that Rachel was right. The girl _had_ experienced it when Finn had wanted to get back together with her in New York, and even a little bit after that. In fact, Kurt had told her things hadn't returned to normal between the pair until after he had followed them to New York.

She just wished there was some way to find her way back into Puck's heart, and that everything between them could be okay again.

**TBC. . . **

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**I wasn't' going to add Finchel so soon, but Lea Michele has been tweeting for a couple days about all the Finchel cuteness coming up in season 3. So, I couldn't resist adding it just a bit earlier than I planned. I was inspired. And yes, I know there's Quick angst. . .but it'll change. How could it not with two strong couples like Jasper/Jewel and Finn/Rachel around?**

**Comments? Flames? Suggestions? I'm open to everything if you're open to giving me feedback, just click on the box and tell me everything that you're thinking about this story. **

**Love,**

**Holly August 23, 2011_**


	6. Chapter 5

**All I Ever Wanted**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Shout-Outs:**

**DearJenzz & Ellii51, thanks for reviewing ladies. You don't know just HOW much I appreciated you taking the time to comment on this story. Let me apologize for the lateness in getting this chapter out to you.**

**.**

**Chapter 5**

Quinn followed Rachel down to the lobby and found Finn waiting for them. She watched as his face lit up and he wrapped the petite girl up in his arms. Rachel had probably been gone all of twenty minutes, but the way he acted a person would have thought it had been twenty years.

The blonde turned away from the very public display of affection and found herself looking up at Puck.

"What do you want?" She asked, distancing herself from him a little bit, but after what had happened the night before, there could have been a continent between them and that wouldn't have been enough distance.

"Nothing," Puck answered, shifting from one foot to the other. "I came to say hello to Finn and Rachel."

"Well, they're in good hands. . . I better go and see if Mrs. Hamilton needs help with anything—"

"Quinn—" Puck grabbed her wrist.

She stopped in her tracks. "_What?_"

"I'm sorry about last night."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Quinn said. "I shouldn't have come. I'm going to leave at the first opportunity I get."

"You don't have to do that," Puck protested.

"Yes. . . yes, I do." She ripped her arm from his grasp and brushed past Finn and Rachel who were staring at them curiously.

"Listen, I'm sorry I told her where you were Dude—" Finn started.

"It's okay," Puck assured him.

"It's just I seriously thought that you'd welcome her with open arms. . . wait, it's okay?"

"I don't know why you told her where I was, I don't like her being here. . . not after I thought I was over her, but it's okay."

"Do you still love her?" Rachel asked inquisitively.

"I don't. . . I don't want to love her. . . I don't know."

"You should talk to her," Finn suggested.

"I can't. . . we can't talk. Talking, I feel, just aggravates the situation."

Rachel and Finn exchanged silent looks, both of them lost for words.

Finally, Finn cleared his throat. "Puck. . . there comes a time when you need to forgive and forget."

"I don't _want_ to forgive and forget!" Puck replied empathetically. "Don't you understand Finn? If I forgive and forget. . . and then we get together. . . I don't know what I'd do if she decided there was something better for her out there. And then she'll leave me, and I'll have to get over her all over again."

"Or not," Rachel said. "You never know unless you try Puck."

"I've tried too many times." he replied crossing his arms over his chest.

"Noah, dear. . . you need to stop dawdling and get into the dining room," Jewel called from across the inn. "The tables aren't going to wait themselves, you know."

"Be there in a second!" He called back, he turned to his friends. "Make yourselves comfortable, okay? I'll catch you guys later."

Finn and Rachel both nodded. And then Puck disappeared, tying his apron around his waist as he sprinted to the inn's restaurant.

"We need to try and get them back together!" Rachel said when he was gone.

"Don't meddle Rach," Finn replied

"Who's meddling? I just want to see them happy."

Finn felt a wave a wave of inescapable love for Rachel wash over him. He smiled and pulled her into another hug, brushing his lips softly against her's, then he took her by the hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on, I want to teach you to ski."

"Wait!"

"Yeah?" He asked, turning around with a smile on his face.

"I. . . I love you Finn," Rachel whispered.

Finn smiled, that boyishly happy smile of his, and kissed her again. "I know. . . I love you too."

.

"Puck. . ."

"What is it now Quinn?"

"We need to talk," she answered.

"Haven't we talked enough?" Puck asked. "I could have sworn we had, because I have nothing left to say."

"If I hadn't given up Beth, and I hadn't been with all those other boys. . . would we be like Rachel and Finn? Would you still love me?"

Puck could have sworn that his heart dropped all the way to his toes. He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. . . I just don't have an answer for you."

"Stop it Puck! Stop it now!" Quinn said, grabbing him by the apron. "I'm tired of this. . . I know you feel the same way about me that I feel about you."

"Why are you here?" Puck asked breathlessly.

"I told you."

"I mean, why did Finn tell you where I was?"

"Because I told him. . I told him. . ." she faltered, almost embarrassed to tell him the reasons why.

"You told him. . . told him what?" Puck prodded.

"That I felt like I was tethered to you, like Coach Sylvester was tethered to her sister, and like he's tethered to Rachel," Quinn answered as tears filled her eyes.

He had long forgotten Sue Sylvester's funeral speech. To say that he was shocked hearing the words from Quinn's would have been an understatement. In fact, there really wasn't a word to describe what he felt. So, for the second time in twelve hours he closed the gap between her kissed her. All of a sudden, he was very tired of resisting her. . . he was very tired of pretending that he had gotten over her when really he hadn't. He was tired of singing songs about unrequited love every single night.

Quinn laughed happily when they had pulled apart. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I love you Quinn," Puck answered. "I've always loved you—"

"I know, I know. . ." she soothed. "I'm sorry that I ignored it before. I wish I could tell you why I did it, but I don't have a good reason. . .except for I was a stubborn, stubborn girl. And I was more worried about my reputation than true love."

Puck wanted to laugh at the cliché, but he knew Quinn was being honest with him. So, he kissed her again, because he still couldn't find the words to say to her. As he remembered a theory that Lauren had had a while back.

They had been watching one of her favorite T.V shows about an ex-psychic turned detective. . . there was an episode where the guy had asked the leading lady to dance. Lauren told him it was because he probably couldn't find the words to tell her that he loved her. . . and actions always speak louder than words.

He had thought his ex-girlfriend was full of bull when she had said that, but now. . . now he knew exactly what she meant. Sometimes there weren't any words. . . and you needed to show that person just exactly how you felt.

.

Rachel and Finn showed up right before dinner with sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks. Quinn followed Rachel to her room to talk to her while she got cleaned up.

"We're together!" She said as soon as the brunette had closed the door.

Rachel smile lit up her whole face ."That's wonderful! I am _so_ happy for the two of you!"

Quinn knew her grin probably looked stupid, but she didn't care. After she had had Beth, she didn't think she would ever be really happy again. If she were being honest with herself, she would say that she had never really been happy before. But after her afternoon with Puck, she was starting to feel a little bit happy. She figured that she'd have to take baby-steps to get to a point where she was truly happy.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Rachel slip into the bathroom to change out of her wet skiing clothes. She was quite surprised when the girl returned a few minutes later with freshly glossed lips and looking like a million bucks in a simple gray sweater dress and black boots.

"I'm having dinner with Finn," Rachel explained as she searched for earrings.

"Of course," Quinn replied, glancing at her wrist-watch. "Listen, I have to dash. . . or I'll be late for the dinner rush. See you in the dining room."

"Okay—"

"She's waiting for you," Quinn said to Finn as she flung open the door and hurried past him.

Finn smiled as he came into Rachel's room and hugged her. "You look great."

Rachel blushed, she was certain that as long as she lived, she would never get used to Finn's compliments. Playing it off she said, "Yeah right."

"Really, you do. . ." he answered, taking her into his arms and nuzzling her messy hair with his nose.

"Did you hear about Puck and Quinn?" She asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, Puck told me. It's great isn't it?" Finn asked, finding her lips. He pulled back and studied her face. "Rach. . . have you thought about marrying me?"

"All the time," Rachel answered. "But what does that have to do with Puck and Quinn?"

"Noth-nothing, it has everything to do with us," he replied. "I wanna marry you Rachel."

"We're barely nineteen though!" she protested.

"I'm not talking about getting married today, or even next year. . . but one day in the future."

Rachel smiled and kissed him. "One day. . . in the future, I would love to marry you."

"Good, because I would have looked like a complete idiot if you had said no," Finn said.

"What do you mean?" She asked, pulling away from him.

"I mean. . . well. . ." he stumbled over his words, and then took her hand in defeat. "I mean, come on and let's just get going. I'm starving."

.

Puck couldn't stop looking at Quinn as he tuned his guitar. For the first time he knew what the songwriter was thinking when he penned the words, _what a difference a day makes. . . only twenty-four short little hours_. It took everything in him not to break out singing that particular song. . . to show the crowded restaurant just how happy he was that night. But he didn't think anybody would truly get the meaning of the song. . . and besides that, he promised Finn that he would help him out.

"Quinn!" He called. "I have something for you!"

She trotted over, tucking a pen up into her messy bun. "What?"

He pulled a black, velvet box from his sport's coat. "Here—"

"Whoa! Back up cowboy!" Quinn replied, distancing herself from him a little bit. She loved Puck, and she honestly could see herself spending the rest of her life with him. But it was a little too much, too soon.

"It's not for you," Puck shot back. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "It's for Finn and Rachel. The whole idea behind this vacation was so he could propose to her."

"She's never going to agree to it," Quinn whispered back, accepting the box from him and opening it, gasping as she did so.

"What is it?" Puck asked.

"It's Grandmother Hudson's ring!" She answered breathlessly. "He showed it to me in the early days when we were dating."

"So?" He asked, picking up his guitar and strumming out a few chords.

"So, this is serious Puck!" She replied. "He told me when he showed it to me that he was going to give it to the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. His grandfather and grandmother were married for sixty years, and she willed this ring to Finn. . . for his true love."

"Finn's always been a sentimental fool like that." He took the box from Quinn and studied the simple diamond ring. He would never admit it to Quinn, but Finn's proposing to Rachel had got him thinking about proposing too. He had known that he would spend the rest of his life with Quinn the day he had met her, and sure they were only eighteen. . . but his own grandparents had been married when they were seventeen. . . they were in their early eighties now.

"Quinn, Noah! Get to work!" Jewel called from the bar.

"Here!" Puck shoved the box back in Quinn's hand. "All you have to do is put it on Rachel's dessert before you bring it to the table."

"Okay, okay. . ." Quinn agreed, pocketing the ring and standing on tip-toes to give Puck a quick peck on the lips. "Love you too."

He grinned, almost deepening the kiss before he caught Jewel's eye. "Love you too, I'll see you later. Ice cream sundaes?"

"Yeah," She answered, smiling a bit. "Sounds good."

.

"Okay," Puck said after a long set of rock & roll songs. "We're going to slow things down a bit now. I have a good friend in the audience, and he requested that I let him sing a special song for him and his girlfriend tonight."

Jewel, who he had also gotten in on the action, dimmed the lights and Quinn hurried out of the kitchen with a serving tray. . . waiting for the perfect moment to deliver it to Rachel. Finn made his way up to the stage

He cleared his throat and Puck played out the first few notes of his song. "_I can only give you love that lasts forever, and the promise to be near each time you call. And the only heart I own, for you and you alone. That's all. . . that's all. I can only give you country walks in springtime. And a hand to hold when leaves begin to fall. And a love, who's burning light will warm the winter light. That's all, that's all._

"_There are those, I am sure who have told you, they would give you the world for. . . all I have are these arms to enfold you. And a love time can never destroy. If you're wondering what I'm asking in return dear, you'll be glad to know that my demands are small. Say that it's me you adore for now and evermore. That's all, that's all."_

Quinn could barely contain her excitement as she went over to Rachel and gave her the plate with her dessert over, Finn took a deep breath and said. "Rachel. . . I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. . . marry me, please. . . please marry me."

Puck took over for him. "_If you're wondering what I'm asking in return dear, you'll be glad to know my demands are small. Say that it's me that you'll adore for now and evermore. That's all, that's all."_

He looked up and saw that Finn had made his way back to the table where Rachel was wearing the ring and there was a big smile on both their faces. He knew that meant she had said yes. . . that for once in her life, her life plan didn't matter.

He started to play his guitar again, whispering into the microphone another old song as Finn kissed her. His eyes found Quinn's as he started to sing. "_I'm in the mood for love, simply because you're near me. . . funny, but you're near me, oh, I'm in the mood for love. Heaven is in your eyes. Bright as the stars we're under. Oh! Is it any wonder? I'm in the mood for love."_

**TBC. . .**

.

**Author's Note:**

**A couple things before I end this chapter. Again, I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I haven't had much ideas for this lately. I know exactly where I want to go with it, it's just translating it into something readable.**

**Secondly, this might be my last update for a while. I'll try to update before I leave for my trip next Thursday, but I can't make any promises. If I don't update before I leave, I'll be back on the 21****st****, I'll try to get a lot written between now and then. And last, but not least. I couldn't help giving a shout-out to my FAVORITE television couple. . . the psychic turned detective. Patrick Jane from the Mentalist. The scene I mentioned was from season 2, episode 11 "Rose-Colored Glasses". **

**Any comments? Complaints? Flames? Suggestions? If you want to give me any of the above feedback, click on the little box below. Otherwise, don't.**

**Holly, September 1, 2011_**


	7. Chapter 6

**A Little Night Music**

**A Puck/Quinn Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**All he ever wanted was to get over her. Panged by unrequited love for Quinn Fabray, Noah Puckerman left Lima, Ohio for a new start away from her. Based on songs from Kelly Clarkson's, "All I Ever Wanted" album. Major Quick, with Finchel undertones.**

**Shout-Outs:**

**.**

"I think we should do it," Puck said as he made their ice cream sundaes.

"Do _what_ exactly?" Quinn asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Get engaged," he answered.

"Oh Puck. . ." she trailed off. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I've loved you since we were in eighth grade. . . and I've wanted to marry you since you became pregnant with Beth."

"We're so young, and we've barely been back together for twelve hours."

"I'm not saying we get married tonight," Puck answered. "Tomorrow maybe, or seven years from now. All I know is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Quinn smiled at this statement. "McKinley High's biggest womanizer, talking about spending the rest of his life with one woman and one woman alone."

"That's my past darling, you're the only future I see."

She knew it was a cliché line, but coming from him it was completely and utterly endearing. She slid off her spot on the counter and took a couple steps towards him. "Then I will marry you. . . tonight, tomorrow. . . name the date, and I'll be there."

Puck's face split open into a grin, and he pulled her into his arms. . . bestowing a peck to her forehead, before his lips found her's and he gave her an achingly beautiful kiss.

**.**

"Married! To that. . . that _hussy_!" Puck's mom screeched over the phone an hour later. "Noah, I thought you had better sense than to go back to her!"

Puck was tempted to hold the phone away from his ear, and let his mother scream until she was hoarse. But instead, he opted to calm her down. "Ma, ma. . . it's okay, I'm the one who got her pregnant. It wasn't the other way around—"

"And then, she left you broken-hearted for that Sam boy," Mrs. Puckerman babbled on.

"But things are different now Ma!"

"You left home because of her! And now, now you're telling me that she followed you to Vermont and you two are _engaged_!"

"You talk to her Finn," Puck said, passing the phone over to his best friend. "She always listens to you."

"Okay," Finn agreed. "Hello Mrs. Puckerman."

"Oh Finny, _dearest_. . . try and talk some sense into my boy, please!"

"I can't do that I'm afraid, he's really set on marrying Quinn. He loves her, you see—"

"Is she pregnant again?" Mrs. Puckerman asked, agitation filling her voice.

"No, no. . . she's not pregnant," Finn answered, looking over at Quinn.

"I don't like it though," she sighed. "I always dreamed that Noah would marry a nice Jewish girl, like your Rachel. . . not a Roman Catholic harlot."

Finn winced at the insult. "Listen Mrs. Puckerman, this is Puck's life not your's. He loves Quinn, he wants to marry Quinn—"

"When you have children Finn, you'll see. . . all you'll want is the best for them," Mrs. Puckerman said sadly.

"I'm sure that's true," he agreed. "But what if Quinn is the best for Puck?"

Mrs. Puckerman was silent, and Finn knew she was seriously contemplating his sentence. Finally, she sighed. "I still don't like it."

"You don't have to," Finn said soothingly.

"You're a good boy Finn," Mrs. Puckerman replied. "Now let me talk to my son."

"Thank you," Puck mouthed to Finn as he handed his phone back. "Ma?"

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**Short and sweet, and not where I was planning on taking it AT ALL! But I am extremely happy with the direction it took on it's own. Sorry for the length, I just wanted to get **_**something**_** out after almost a month of not posting anything at all. **

**Do you have any thoughts, comments, or ideas. . . flames even? Then feel free to tell me in a review, or even a PM. I love getting feedback.**

**Next chapter. . . lots of Quick fluff most likely. Maybe even their wedding. Stay tuned!**

**Love,**

**Holly, September 24, 2011_**


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